See Your Ass In Guantanamo, Muntadar

He can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

On an Iraq trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent, President George W. Bush on Sunday hailed progress in the war that defines his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference.

"This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" shouted the protester in Arabic, later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

Bush ducked both shoes as they whizzed past his head and landed with a thud against the wall behind him. "It was a size 10," Bush joked later.

"There is still more work to be done," Bush said after his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It was at that point the journalist stood up and threw a shoe from about 20 feet away. Bush ducked, and it narrowly missed his head. The second shoe came quickly, and Bush ducked again while several Iraqis grabbed the man and dragged him to the floor.

In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt. Iraqis whacked a statue of Saddam with their shoes after U.S. marines toppled it to the ground following the 2003 invasion.

I hope this guy likes black beans and knows how to speak Spanish because I forsee a vacation to a Caribbean island in his future.

Read the full story on Yahoo! News.

Leslie Stahl Shows Latest U.S. Military Capabilities

Interested in knowing what's going on in northwest Pakistan...you know, those ungoverned "tribal" regions? We keep reading stories about how a "suspected American missile" killed x number of Taliban/Al-Qaeda militants is probably summed up by this 60 Minutes story from last Sunday regarding the Sadr City section of Baghdad, Iraq.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is the battleground game-changing technology that Bob Woodward spoke about in his latest book The War Within: A Secret White House History. His assertion is that this new technology was at least as responsible for recent U.S. successes in Iraq as "the surge."

Run, Don't Walk, Out Of Iraq

What the fuck is wrong with the Bush Administration? The democratically elected government that we installed but apparently don't trust in Iraq doesn't want us there. The American people don't want us there. They've given us the political cover and we should be seizing the opportunity to get the fuck out!

If it turns into a blood bath, so be it. That's their choice. "Conditions on the ground" are that they want us out!

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the U.S. military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops.

—SNIP—

Last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the two sides agreed tentatively to a schedule that includes a broad pullout of combat troops by the end of 2011 with the possibility that a residual U.S. force might stay behind to continue training and advising Iraqi security services.

But al-Maliki's remarks indicated his government was not satisfied with that arrangement and wants all foreign troops gone by the end of 2011.

—SNIP—

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said negotiations with the Iraqis were continuing and repeated the U.S. position that the withdrawal must be linked to conditions in Iraq — a clear difference with al-Maliki's interpretation of what had been agreed. [Y|O|Y: It's their fucking country and they want us out!]

—SNIP—

President Bush has long resisted a timetable for removing troops from Iraq, even under strong pressure from an American public distressed by U.S. deaths and discouraged by the length of the war that began in 2003.

Last month, however, Bush reversed course and agreed to set a "general time horizon" for bringing troops home, based on Iraq's ability to provide for its own security. But the Iraqis insisted they want a specific schedule.

—SNIP—

Al-Maliki's Shiite allies face a strong challenge from followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, long an opponent of the U.S. presence.

—SNIP—

So much for McCain's 100 year war occupation.

McClellan Admits He Was A Pussy

From the day late and a dollar short file:

"Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive 'political propaganda campaign' instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, and that the decision to invade pushed Bush's presidency 'terribly off course.'

The Bush White House made 'a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed' — a time when the nation was on the brink of war, McClellan writes in the book entitled What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception.

The way Bush managed the Iraq issue 'almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option.'

'In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage,' McClellan writes.

White House aides seemed stunned by the scathing tone of the book, and Bush press secretary Dana Perino issued a statement that was highly critical of their former colleague.

'Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House,' she said. 'For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad - this is not the Scott we knew.'

Yeah, that's because the Scott McClellan you knew was a presidential syncophant that spread the propaganda to the press when he knew it was all bullshit. He shares the blood of 3,000 Americans and untold thousands of innocent Iraqis because he was too much of a pussy-boy to speak up. He was afraid to lose his job, and thousands have lost their lives as a result. He had the opportunity to speak up when it meant something.

Fuck off, Mr. McClellan.
*

935 False Statements

Shrub the liar:

A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

Read the full story at Yahoo News!.
*

Operation Cowbell

When Cowbell put out the call to help the troops in Iraq on her blog I Need More Cowbell*, her readers rallied to the cause.

I jumped in with both feet and diverted my Brunswick Cares (see below) Q4 budget to the effort. I put my brain in bargain-shopper mode, redeemed my free BJ's Wholesale Club membership coupon, and got a ton of stuff. Yes, a ton I say, after spending $60 just on shipping!

• Act II Microwave Popcorn (72 Bags)
• Kraft Microwave Easy Mac (36 Packets)
• Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles (16 Packets)
• Planters Snack Nut Pouches (24 Packets)
• Austin Crackers with Peanut Butter (45 Packets)
• Gillette Good News! Twin Razors (64 Razors)
• Sunsilk Shampoo (4 Bottles)
• Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa (120 Packets)
• Kellogg's Lego Gummi Snacks (50 Packets)
• Lextron AA Batteries (96 Batteries)
• Wrigley's Peppermint and Wintergreen Gum (80 Packs)
• Mott's Apple Cider Drink Mix (48 Packets)
• Striped Peppermint Hard Candies (10 Pounds!)
• Pringle's Potato Crisps (6 X-Large Cans)
• Tootsie Rolls (505 Midgies)
• Hershey Kisses Assortment (10 Bags)
• Neutral-Color Nail Polish (3 Bottles)
• Assorted Magazines

This, in addition to the efforts of other Operation Cowbell members, should give a boost to some of the troops!

---

I started the Brunswick Cares donation club at the end of 2005 in order to donate non-perishable food and personal care items to charitable organizations. After some research, I settled on Troy’s Unity House Food Pantry since they tend to HIV/AIDS affected, elderly, and poor constituencies.

Over the years I would see things for free, or at a significant discount when I was shopping and I'd think they might be good for someone even though I didn't particularly need or want the items. So I decided to take advantage of the freebies and donate them to reputable charities. What started as a personal effort turned into a eclectic collection of friends and neighbors as soon as folks found out about what I was doing and my success. Everyone gets excited when they can actually see the bags and boxes of goods that I accumulate.
*

Next Steps For Iraq?

From an AP story via Yahoo! News:

"Iraq's government, seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said.

The proposal, described to The Associated Press by two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue, is one of the first indications that the United States and Iraq are beginning to explore what their relationship might look like once the U.S. significantly draws down its troop presence."

I think the only way to get this to really work is to put it to a national Iraqi referendum. I know I'd feel better if the Iraqi people actually voted that they want us there, rather than see us as occupiers, and maybe the U.S. could reclaim some amount of international standing.
*

Military Man Reunites With Son

In case you didn't see this on the news yesterday, here's an incredible video of an American veteran back from Iraq and surprising his son in his kindergarten class. Warning: Grab a box of tissues before you watch. See more at NBC's Seattle affiliate KING Channel 5.

Maybe I'm naive, but it's a stark contrast between us and those who are trying to subvert our way of life. We strive to love and cherish our children; they train theirs to be murderous, suicide-bombing "martyrs." Americans may not be perfect, but I'll take a society based on the values shown here over theirs anyday.
*